I'm Not Ready
by makokashi22
Summary: After Jigsaw's defeat, Jackson decides to quit the N.E.R.D.S. until he can get himself together. How will Jackson's life go now that he's severed his ties with the nerd herd. And how will they react with losing yet another teammate.
1. Chapter 1

Jackson was waiting in Agent Brand's office, tapping his foot on the ground anxiously. He rocked back and forth in his chair.

"C'mon" he thought "Hurry up"

Hours before, he'd had just helped to save the world from a jigsaw puzzle obsessed madman. His teammates were out celebrating with the Lunch Lady. And though they insisted that he come with them, he declined. He was about to make a very important decision, and he wanted to talk to Agent Brand before he changed his mind. Agent Brand entered his office, followed closely by Ms Holiday.

"Sorry" he said "I know you said that it was urgent that we speak to you""But we still had a bit of business to finish up...with the continents"

"It's alright" Jackson said "This won't take long"

"The Lunch Lady is taking the agents out for pizza" Ms Holiday said "You should be there with them""You were the hero of this mission"

Jackson felt a pang of discomfort. She wasn't making his decision any easier.

"About that" Jackson began "I wanted to say..."

"Hold on a moment" Agent Brand said "I have something I'd like to say as well"

Jackson closed his mouth as the secret agent spoke

"I've been a bit hard on you" Brand said "Harder on you than the other agents""But only because I believe you have the potential to be a great agent""And risking your life to destroy Dr Jigsaw's machine proved that you have what it takes"

Jackson swallowed the lump in his throat. Agent Brand wasn't helping either. But as hard as it was, he knew that this was something he needed to do.

"Now then" Brand said "What was it that you wanted to say?"

Jackson took a deep breath and said "I want to resign again"

Ms Holiday gave a small gasp. If Agent Brand didn't have his cane to support him, he'd have fallen over.

"This job really isn't suited for me" Jackson said

Agent Brand shook his head "I've never heard a more obvious lie" he said "You're an athlete, a gifted leader, and a natural born snoop""You and I both know that you were made for this job"

"I know" he said "And I like it""But...I can't handle this""Not....not now"

Jackson must've been going for a record of some kind. He had gone through most of the emotional spectrum with Ms Holiday. She was happy that he joined, she had cried when he was pushed to leave, she had gotten angry when Jackson decided to help, she was happy to have him back, and now she was upset all over again.

"Jackson be reasonable" she said "You can't do this"

"I can and I will" he said solemnly

"Think of your team" Ms Holiday said "With Heathcliff gone, they need you now more than ever"

"They aren't my team" he said "They didn't need me before and they don't need me now""There are tons of other kids in this school who could take Heathcliff's place""Find one, because I can't do this anymore"

Tears had begun to form in the librarians eyes. She was shocked at how hollow his words sounded. She turned to Agent Brand

"Alexander" she said desperation filling her voice "Say something"

"Are you sure that you want to do this?" Brand asked

"Let's review" Jackson said "From the day I've joined N.E.R.D.S. I've been insulted, yelled at, beaten unconscious, ambushed, shot with a laser, buried alive in cars, electrocuted, nearly killed, lied to my father on a daily basis, and to top it off I've fallen so far behind in school that I've already flunked the fifth grade""So I want to get myself together before I'm flunked back to pre-school"

Brand couldn't deny that he had a valid point. Jackson wanted to pick up the pieces of his former life and try to get himself back on track.

"All right then" Brand said "If this is what you want, then I won't stop you"

Ms Holiday looked horrified "Alexander, you can't let him do this" she said

"Of course I can" he said "As the director of N.E.R.D.S. I can do as I see fit""If he wants to leave then we should respect his wishes"

Jackson left Brand's office and headed to the room with the upgrade chair "I'll be back" he said

He entered the room and climbed into the chair "Or I guess I won't for a while" he thought

Those familiar rubber hooks forced his mouth open. Ben's voice rang out

"Think pleasant thoughts" he said

Jackson remembered that taking the braces out didn't hurt nearly as much as putting them in. It still hurt a lot though. And since the Lunch Lady wasn't here, the upgrade chair removed his nose bug instead. Jackson was expecting the chair to use pliers like the Lunch Lady had. But the chair used a long, thin, metal-tipped plastic tube, which essentially vacuumed the implant out of his nose. After a while, he walked out of the upgrade room. Wobbling from side to side, like a jello mold in an earthquake.

"I ever rejoin N.E.R.D.S., I won't be looking forward to doing that again" Jackson thought

Ms Holiday waited for him outside. She had on a brave face, but at the same time, she looked like she was going to cry.

"It's not like I'm moving away" Jackson said "You'll still see me around school"

He stopped to think for a moment "Actually, you'll probably see me in the library more" he said "Because I'll have to do a lot of studying to bring my grades up"

"I'll see you...tomorrow then" she said with an fake smile. She was trying her best not to give in to how she really felt.

Jackson headed over to the tubes that led to the lockers. As he walked, he distinctly heard the librarian sob then blow her nose. Agent Brand was waiting for him by the tubes.

"She's grown quite attached to you" Brand said "Maybe even more so than to the other agents"

Jackson shrugged "I'll still be around" he said"And so what if I'm not part of the team anymore""She'll get over it"

"Do you have a ride back to your house?" Brand asked

"I was gonna walk" Jackson said "I figured I could use the time to think about how I'm gonna do better in school"

"If you don't have a ride" he said "Then let me take you home"

"Ok then" Jackson said

They both entered the tubes which led back to the lockers. After coming into the hall, they walked outside. Brand pressed a hidden button on his cane. Within seconds, an sleek black car drove up.

"Nice" Jackson said

"A parting gift from my former employers" Brand said

Jackson laughed "How does no one know that the school janitor drives such an awesome car?" he asked

"Everyone thinks it belongs to the principal" Brand said getting in

Jackson hopped in the car and checked his watch. He knew it was late, but he just wanted to know the exact time. After looking down at his watch, he realized he still had his laser watch on. As he unfastened the strap from his wrist, Agent Brand placed his hand over the clock face.

"Don't bother" Brand said "You can keep it"

Jackson looked at the weapon on his wrist as Brand explained "The power cell has to be periodically charged for it to emit a laser""You only get so many shots""And even when you use them all it still works as a regular watch""Just think of it as a reminder of what you have to gain"

Brand talked to Jackson as he drove the car down the street.

"I hate the thought of losing another agent" Brand said "But I have to say it takes a lot of strength and maturity to do what you've just done""And I'm proud of you for that"

Jackson grinned "Thanks" he said "You don't know how great it feels to hear you say that"

"After what you did for them" Brand said "I'd say that the rest of the team will miss you even more now than before"

Jackson snorted "Please" he said "They never wanted me in the first place""They'll probably be glad that I'm not around to screw up anymore"

Brand shook his head "You really don't know how far you've come" he said "They only dwelled on your mistakes because they still resented you at that time""They knew for a fact that anyone, including them, could've made your mistakes""The only thing that mattered to them was that _you_ were making them"

"Aside from leaving N.E.R.D.S." Jackson said "I think it's time I did something I should've done a long time ago""Leave them alone"

Brand chuckled "It won't be that easy" he said "They were already starting to like you before, after saving their lives turning them away will be easier said then done""And I don't think you have it in you to be a bully again, not anymore"

Jackson sighed, Brand was right. He was still cocky and somewhat overconfident, but he had put an end to his bullying days. It was his first step to changing himself for the better. But if he was going to try and fix himself, he needed to be focused on school. He couldn't afford to let anything distract him. Not his old friends, not his new friends, and not the N.E.R.D.S. After a few minutes, they arrived at Jackson's home. He stepped out of the car, and looked Agent Brand square in the eye.

"Know this" Brand said "When you feel that you're ready to rejoin, I will personally welcome you back"

"Thanks" Jackson said "But that's probably gonna be a long time from now"

Jackson shut the car door and watched Agent Brand drive away. He walked through the driveway and up to his door. Jackson shook his head as he looked over at Butch on his chain, sleeping peacefully.

"That dog could sleep through the end of the world" Jackson thought . He stopped and laughed to himself as he realized that Butch probably had slept through the continents movement.

He took a breath and opened the door. He stepped inside and was quickly met by his brothers arm around his neck in a playful headlock.

"Welcome home, Nerdbot" he said

Jackson struggled out of Chaz's grip and bit his arm. He quickly let go, and rubbed at the tender spot.

"So, my kid brother's a spy" Chaz said shaking his head in wonder "You've gotta tell me all about it"

"I will" Jackson said "But first...where's dad?"

"Livingroom" Chaz said "He's been watching this news report about the continents supposedly moving to slide together like...like..."

"A giant jigsaw puzzle?" Jackson suggested

"Pretty much"Chaz said

Jackson walked toward the livingroom, motioning for his brother to follow him. His father sat in an armchair, staring blankly at the screen. As soon as Jackson approached, he turned the television off. Jackson sat on the couch and Chaz plopped down next to him. He stared at his father, not breaking eye contact for even a second. He took a breath, and said in an even tone of voice....

"Dad, we need to talk"

**And that's it for Chapter One. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Chapter Two is the heart to heart Jackson's been needing to have with his father for quite a while. Until then, please review. **


	2. Chapter 2

"Mindy's laugh snapped them all out of it" Jackson said "I got Flinch to throw me at the beam, so the magnet at the tip pulled the nanobytes out of my braces and smashed the machine"

Jackson was telling his father and brother everything. From his days as the king of Nathan Hale to his new start as a nerd. Discovering the secrets of the school and it's people. Stumbling upon the N.E.R.D.S. and becoming one of them. The training, the missions, the discovery that he wasn't popular but a bully, everything. He had just gotten past the part with Heathcliff's betrayal

"Jigsaw's device and lair were destroyed" Jackson said "Heathcl...Simon and Dumb Vinci's bodies were never found"

Jackson's father was in a state of stunned silence, while his brother couldn't stop asking questions

"What about Mindy?" he asked "What happened to her?"

Jackson sighed "She works with the N.E.R.D.S. now" he said sadly "On some top secret project that I don't know about. So she's gone, and I won't see her again for a long time"

Chaz had a wide smile on his face "I just can't believe it" he said "My kid brother got himself a girlfriend before I did. I don't know if I should be jealous or proud"

Jackson blushed a bit "She's not my girlfriend" he muttered

"Stop being modest, she's _totally_ your girlfriend " he said "You like her, don't you?"

Jackson hesitated for a moment but answered "Yeah, but I'm not exactly sure she feels the same way about me"

**Miles away at a shopping mall** **in some other state**

Mindy only had a few hours to spare at the mall before she got back to work. Besides buying new clothes and shoes, she wanted a few magazines. She was reading one with a list of traits for your ideal guy. Or at least she was before she sneezed, effectively soaking the magazine she was reading.

"Gross" she thought as she wiped her nose "Someone must be talking about me"

She put the magazine back and pulled a dry copy off the rack. She flipped to the page she was reading before

"Your ideal guy" she read "So many choices"

There was a long list of traits in the magazine. She went down the list, making mental notes

"Handsome" she thought "Blond hair, blue eyes, not too tall, athletic, dazzling smile..."

She stopped and added her own trait "Horrible braces" she thought

She felt her face get warmer as she thought about the boy she left behind. He was a nerd, but she had to admit he was cute. Without those disgustingly huge braces, he'd probably be even cuter. Oh who was she kidding, she liked him even with that giant erector set sticking out of his face. She put the magazine back on the rack, and pulled a somewhat creased photo from her pocket. It was of a boy with a ridiculously large set of braces, smiling widely revealing the metal workings that filled his mouth.

"Jackson" she thought as she gazed longingly into the photo

She always looked at that photo when she thought about him, or when she missed him. But how she had managed to get a hold of that picture was a mystery known only to her.

**Back in Arlington**

"I thought that I could handle the job along with school and my personal life" Jackson said biting back a yawn "But I couldn't do it. I can't figure out how they make it look so easy"

His father pinched the bridge of his nose, no wonder Jackson had fallen behind in school. He had told him the truth, but it sounded ridiculous at the time. Jackson had never lied to him before, he actually felt a bit ashamed for not believing his son. Mr Jones motioned for Jackson to continue

"After we came back to the Playground, I made a decision" Jackson said "To get out while I still can"

"So you quit?" Chaz asked

"Pretty much" Jackson said with a nod "Until I can fix myself at least. The others are good spies and can still get good grades. If they can do it, then so can I"

"I can't believe you could just walk away from being a spy" Chaz said

"It's not forever" Jackson said "But it will be until I can get my grades back up. After that, I plan on re-joining"

"But your principal said that you've already flunked the fifth grade" Chaz said "So it wouldn't matter if...

"I don't believe that" Jackson said interrupting his brother "I don't care what Dehaven says, I don't think could've failed the whole grade in just three months. I don't care if I have to make straight A's or go to summer school to pass, I'm not giving up now"

Jackson looked at his father. Mr Jones looked over at Chaz and said

"I need to speak with your brother...alone"

That tone of voice meant he was only going to tell you once, so Chaz zipped out of the livingroom. But not before giving Jackson a thumbs up and an approving smile. They sat there in silence until his father said loudly

"I don't need any more spies in the house"

The next sound they heard was a pair of feet going up the stairs and a door closing. Jackson held back a small laugh. Chaz wanted to listen in on the conversation, but their father wasn't going to have it. He looked over at his son with a sad, tired, expression. So Jackson decided to start off

"I want to say I'm sorry" he said "I shouldn't have been hiding all of this from you"

His father didn't say anything, so he continued

"I know how you like to be connected to us" Jackson said "And we always had sports. But since my braces kept me from joining the football team I...I didn't think you'd be interested in me"

His father's expression became even sadder. A lump formed in Jackson's throat, making it harder for him to speak "Even now, it's kind of hard to talk to you" he said "Unless it has something to do with football, I'm really not sure what to say"

Before he knew it, tears were falling "I...I guess I was scared" Jackson managed to work out "I've been too scared to talk to you...about anything else"

His father got out of his chair and slowly made his way toward Jackson. More tears fell and his nose ran "Football was all I had in common with you" he said through the sobs and wet sniffles "Ever since Mom..."

Jackson didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, because his father had wrapped him in a

warm, strong armed hug.

"I'm sorry" he told his son "I'm so sorry for not believing you"

Jackson couldn't believe what he was hearing. If he couldn't feel his father's arms around him, he'd have thought that he was dreaming.

"It's not your fault that we don't connect" he said "It's all mine, and I'm sorry for that. Losing your mother has been hard for all of us. But I want you to know that I'm proud of you. And after hearing all of this...I've never been prouder"

More tears slipped from Jackson's eyes. His lips quivered as they formed into a smile "Thanks dad" he choked out

The warmth and strength of his father's arms around him calmed him down. All the stress and frustration that Jackson held inside seemed to dissolve. For the first time in weeks, Jackson felt relaxed. So relaxed, that he drifted to sleep in his fathers arms right then and there. His father picked him up and headed toward his room, where he found Chaz waiting by Jackson's door

"Don't tell me he's asleep" Chaz said "I still had more questions I wanted to ask him"

His father walked past him, placed Jackson into his bed, and quietly left the room.

"And I thought high school was tough" Chaz said to his father "I never saved the world when I was in elementary school"

His father sighed "I feel tired just listening to him" he said

"So what now?" Chaz asked

"He could use a break from all this" Mr Jones said "So I'll keep him from school tomorrow. He can pick up where he left off the next day"

"So you aren't sending him to military school?" Chaz asked

"No" his father said "I can tell that he means what he says. He intends to give it his all back at Nathan Hale, and I won't stop him""And besides...

He cracked the door to Jackson's room, watching his son sleep for a few seconds before quietly closing the door.

"He's got a pretty important job waiting for him" he finished

**The Next Day **

It was free period, and the nerd herd was in their usual spot. Quietly reading in the library, the only sound was the clicking of computer keys from Ms Holiday's desk, and the occasional wheeze and inhaler sound from Matilda. They were all thinking the same thing, but Duncan was the first one to speak.

"I wonder where Jackson is?" Duncan said getting everyone's attention

"Maybe he's sick" Flinch suggested as he pulled out a pack of chocolate cupcakes "We were at the North Pole, maybe he caught a cold"

Ruby snorted "You know, in Japan they say idiots can't catch colds" she said

"Just lay off of him" Duncan said annoyance lacing his words

"Relax, I'm only teasing" she said with a sigh "And he's not even here for me to tease him"

"It's so unfair" Matilda said "I finally convinced the Lunch Lady to give me a watermelon and he's not even here for Combat Practice"

"I hope he's alright" Flinch asked

"It's not that big a deal" Ruby said turning a page in her book

"What do you mean?" Flinch asked

"So what if Jackson's absent today?" Ruby asked "It's not the end of the world, I don't really think it's any big deal"

As she got disapproving looks from the three other nerds, Ruby moved her hand away from her book and rubbed at her nose "Darn it" she complained

"What's wrong" Duncan asked

"I..." she began before she gasped a few times "I have to...sneeze...but..." She rubbed at her nose again "It's stuck...in my nose"

Duncan looked over at Ruby curiously "Hang on" he said "You don't want to know where Jackson is?"

"No" Ruby said

The itching in her nose intensified. The urge to sneeze was growing, but the sensation was still lodged in the back of her sinuses. She continued rubbing her nose, trying to force the itch to trigger the stuck sneeze, but to no avail. Duncan folded his arms aver his chest as he continued

"So you aren't the _least _bit concerned about Jackson?" Duncan asked

"I..." she began "I couldn't care less"

Ruby's throat and nostrils itched and burned. Her eyes watered and her nose ran, spilling thick goo down over her upper lip. She started sniffling and wiping her nose on her sleeves to soak the mucus up, but she ran out of clean space fairly quickly.

"Just tell the truth sweetie" said a soothing voice

Ruby looked up to see Ms Holiday, holding a box of tissues out to her. She grabbed a few and started wiping her nose.

"There's nothing wrong with worrying about your teammates" Ms Holiday said "It shows that you're a good leader. It shows that you care"

The itch in her nose was becoming unbearable, so she came out with it.

"I wish I knew where he is" Ruby "And I hope he's OK"

It was like pulling the trigger of a gun. She held the tissues to her nose as a series of wet, throaty sneezes burst out. No longer held back by her stubborn refusal to share how she truly felt.

"Now was that so hard?" Ms Holiday asked

Ruby blew her nose and grumbled quietly as she got semi-smug looks from the other nerds.

"You need not worry about Jackson" Ms Holiday said "I was in the office this morning and I overheard a call to the secretary. Jackson's father is just keeping him home today"

"I hope he's alright" Duncan asked

"So do I" Matilda said coughing a few times before using her inhaler "I don't like taking it easy during Combat Training, but I don't want to wail on a sick kid"

There was a look of sadness on Ms Holiday's face, but she quickly removed it as the nerd herd looked up at her. As she turned around, Ruby watched her walk back to her desk

"Anything seem strange to you guys?" she asked her friends

"About what?" Flinch asked as he sucked the remaining chocolate residue off the cupcake wrapping

"About Ms Holiday" Ruby said "She seems...I dunno... kinda sad"

The other nerds looked at the librarian, she wasn't her usual cheerful self. She stared at her computer screen with a blank expression, typing a lot more slowly than normal. Ruby motioned to the group and they walked to her desk. Upon closer inspection, they could see a small pile of used, crumpled tissues around her computer

"Are you OK Ms Holiday" Matilda asked

She looked a bit surprised "Why do you ask?" she asked

"You seem kind of down" Flinch said

"And it's obvious you've been crying about something" Duncan said

"And it's just as obvious that it's got something to do with our missing teammate" Ruby said "So what's wrong? Is there something you're not telling us?"

"Well..." she began "It's...you see...um..."

Ms Holiday didn't want to lie. Oh sure, she was a good enough to fool Ruby's allergies. But she didn't like lying to kids, especially not the nerd herd. She didn't have the heart to tell them about Jackson's decision to quit N.E.R.D.S. But she didn't have the heart to lie to them either. But she didn't have to, because the bell rang at that moment.

"There's the bell" Ms Holiday said "You better get to class now"

The nerds turned and walked out of the library. But when Ms Holiday was out of earshot, they began to talk amongst each other.

"She knows something that we don't" Matilda said

"And whatever it is, it involves Jackson" Flinch added

"Why would she want to hide anything from us?" Duncan asked

"I don't know about you" Ruby said "But I'm more interested in"what" she's hiding"

**Well what do you know**,** the nerd herd cares about Jackson, that's a shock. So they're going to learn the truth tomorrow when Jackson comes back to school. How will they react? Only one way to find out, come back for the next chapter.**

**Please Review**


	3. Chapter 3

Mr Jones drove up to the school. Jackson took a breath and tightly gripped the car door handle. As he opened the door, his father put his hand on his shoulder

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Mr Jones asked his son "I wouldn't blame you if you choose to wait a bit..."

"I can't improve if I don't try" Jackson said "So I'm going and that's all there is to it"

A proud smile stretched across his father's face "Alright then" he said "I'll see you at home"

Jackson hopped out of the car, gave his father a goodbye wave, and headed inside the school. He walked through the hall, dodging every kid he saw as he made his way to his locker. After he reached his locker and exchanged his books, he heard a voice

"Mr Jones, what a surprise"

Jackson looked up to see Mr Dehaven standing over him. He gave him a wide, metallic smile

"Good Morning Mr Dehaven" he said

"I must say Jackson, I wasn't expecting to see you here" the principal said "With your grades, I assumed your father would've enrolled you in military school'

"Well..." Jackson began "We had a talk and he decided to let me stick it out here"

Mr Dehaven looked a bit annoyed "What's wrong?" Jackson asked "It's not like you were...happy to see me leave...were you?"

Dehaven coughed "Of...of course not" he said "I'm...glad that...you've decided to remain at school Despite the fact that your failure is imminent"

Jackson looked at Mr Dehaven, he looked like he was trying desperately not to choke on his words and vomit them back up.

"Anything is possible, including me passing the 5th grade" Jackson said "So if I fail, at least I can say I failed trying my hardest to bring my grades back up"

Jackson checked his watch "I still have some spare time before class" he said "I might as well get some studying in"

He turned around and walked away from the principal. Even as he got further down the hall, he could practically feel the anger and disappointment pouring off Mr Dehaven. Jackson fought off the urge to do a victory dance down the hall. The urge died down when he reminded himself of what he had to do. He was still in hot water with the teachers, and wasn't popular with his classmates anymore. There was no denying that making this big a change to his life was going to be hard, but he had to keep pressing on.

"I have to keep focused" he thought "Since I'm a nerd now, I should try to avoid anything that might distract me"

Jackson was letting his legs take him where he needed to go. His mind was elsewhere, but he snapped out of it when he heard a wheezy sounding female voice say

"Leave us alone"

Jackson stopped "Oh great" he thought as he looked up

Right in front of him were seven kids. His three former friends, Steve Sarver, Ron Schultz and Brett Bealer, along with the four members of the nerd herd. Flinch was holding his hands to his ears, he was a victim of a double wet willie. Matilda had been blasted in the face with several spitballs. Ruby was yelling, tears streaming down her face. Ron was pulling her pigtails, pure delight etched on his face. Brett had pushed Duncan down and was pulling his underwear up over his shoulders. Right before his waistband reached the top of his head, Jackson shouted...

"HEY, LEAVE THEM ALONE"

Out of pure surprise, Brett let go of the nerds underwear. He smiled wickedly at Jackson

"Well, if it isn't Braceface" Brett said walking toward him

Ron and Steve began to follow him, but with a swift movement of his hand they stopped and continued tormenting the other nerds.

"Come to get a jump on your swirly?" Brett asked

"No thanks" Jackson said "I don't feel much like a swim today"

Brett grabbed Jackson's arm "Too bad" he said leading him into the bathroom

Jackson jerked himself out of Brett's grip "Back off" he said "And call off your goons"

Brett laughed at him "And what are you gonna do if I don't?" he asked

Jackson gave a glittering smile "This for starters..."

Jackson leaned over and whispered something in Brett's ear. His face drained of all color. He stared at Jackson, trying to form a coherent sentence

"Y-You can't" he said nervously "You...you s-said...you'd n-never t-t-tell anybody"

"We were friends back then" Jackson said firmly "And you've made it clear that we're not friends anymore"

Brett gave an anxious gulp "Now go away" Jackson said "And take those two knuckleheads with you"

Brett walked away "C'mon guys" he said "They aren't worth it"

Ron and Steve followed Brett in an almost robotic manner. As soon as the bullies were out of eyeshot, Jackson ran to the aid on the nerd herd. Duncan was trying to cram his underwear back into his pants.

"Are you guys alright?" Jackson asked

"Not really" Duncan said "But we're used to this by now"

Flinch had pulled up a corner of his shirt, and was swirling it around in his ear.

"Gross" he whined "I think he poked my brain"

"I've never seen Brett back down before" Matilda said peeling the gooey bits of paper off her face "What did you say to him?"

"I threatened to reveal one of his secrets if he didn't leave you alone" Jackson said

Ruby was clutching her aching head with one hand, and drying her eyes on a pink and black striped handkerchief with the other. She blew her nose and stuffed the wet cloth into her pocket

"What kind of secrets?" she asked "What do you have on him?"

Jackson pulled his backpack off and reached into the bottom of it. His hand came back holding a notebook. It was a small but thick, black, pocket-sized notebook. Liquid paper had been used to draw a crude but unmistakable skull and crossbones on the cover.

"What's that?" Matilda asked

"Remember how I used to spy on everyone in school" Jackson said

Everyone nodded "It's how you ended up joining the team" Flinch said

Jackson felt that familiar pang of discomfort, but continued "I wrote down everything I learned in this notebook" he said flipping through the pages "Here it is" he said when he reached's Brett's page "This is the secret I threatened him with"

He handed the notebook to the kids, pointing at one line. Duncan read it aloud "Wears pull-up pants due to nightly...bed-wetting?"

The four kids exploded into laughter. Jackson took his notebook back and placed it back inside his backpack. Flinch had a wide grin on his face

"Oh man" he said ""I can't believe it, Brett's a bed-wetter? I don't even wet the bed anymore"

Matilda started hyperventilating, she had actually laughed herself into an asthma attack. After a few inhaler sessions she was back to normal

"Seriously" she wheezed "I feel a lot better now"

"So do I" Ruby said giggling

"How did you find that out anyway" Duncan asked through his laughter

Jackson gave a quick story about the sleep over he had at Brett's house years ago.

"I actually feel kind off bad for telling you" Jackson said "I _was_ sworn to secrecy"

"You said it yourself" Duncan said "You were friends back then, and he's made it clear that you're not friends anymore"

Jackson shrugged "Yeah, I guess" he said

He slipped his way past the nerd herd "Where are you going?" Flinch asked

"I was thinking that I'd get to class early today" Jackson said

"Class doesn't start for about 20-30 minutes" Matilda said "I was thinking we could get a quick Combat Training session in before the bell"

"Combat Training?" Jackson repeated

"Yeah" Matilda said "I can't get a watermelon from the Lunch Lady until after school though. So I guess I just have to use whatever else I can find"

Jackson was confused. He had quit the N.E.R.D.S., so why was she talking about training. Unless...

"Hang on" he said "Did you guys have a mission while I was absent?"

"No" Ruby said "Why? Did your nose bug go off or something?"

Jackson's lips parted a bit. Now it made sense, they didn't know that he quit. No one had told them yesterday. Jackson ran past the nerd herd and down the hall.

"Where are you going now?" Matilda called after him

"The library" he called back

Jackson sped down the hall, dodging kids as he ran. He darted in through the door and up to

Ms Holiday's desk. The librarian was typing at her computer as Jackson came up. She looked pleased to see him.

"Hello" she said in a cheery voice "What can I help you with today? Do you need a book, or a quiet place to..."

Jackson cut her off "Why didn't you tell them?" he asked angrily

"Shhh" Ms Holiday said "Please quiet down, this is a library"

"An _empty_ library" Jackson said looking around "Now why didn't you tell them?"

Ms Holiday gave a defeated sigh "I...I just...didn't know how" she said "You were absent yesterday so I guess...I thought I could put it off until you were at school to talk to them"

"I wanted either you or Agent Brand to tell them" Jackson said "They'd take it better from one of you. They'd probably just yell at me if_ I_ told them that I quit"

"You what?" shouted a voice

Jackson turned around to see the nerd herd, they had followed him. He smacked himself in the face with his palm "Well that takes care of that" he thought

Ms Holiday looked nervous, and Ruby noticed it quickly "Is this what you were hiding from us yesterday?" she asked

The librarian turned away, a look of sadness and shame on her face

"Well" Jackson said "Now you know"

He walked past the nerd herd and into the hall, but they weren't through yet. They ran up in front of him, blocking his way.

"You quit?" Flinch asked "Again?"

Jackson nodded "I had to" he said

"Is this because I keep ripping into you at Combat Practice?" Matilda asked "Because I can lighten up a bit"

Jackson shook his head "No" he said "But I _will_ be glad to get away from that"

"I don't believe this" Duncan said "Why would you want to quit?"

"So I can get myself together" Jackson said "I really need to focus on school and I can't afford any distractions from the N.E.R.D.S. Maybe you guys can handle it, but I can't"

"But we have great scientists and mathematicians to help us out" Duncan said "Why don't you just ask for help?"

Jackson's eyes were a cold, icy blue, they were easy to get lost in. But now they were ablaze with a fire of determination and resolve that none of the nerds had ever seen. They normally looked like a pair of shimmering crystals, but now they were two burning blue spheres of flame. He approached Duncan who stepped back, a bit intimidated

"You're the one who said that kids like me and Brett never amount to much" Jackson said "Maybe I want to prove you wrong. So I'm going to get my grades up on my own"

Jackson seemed very adamant about his choice. Yes it was true that nerds had more to offer the world than jocks or popular kids, but Jackson had been stripped of that title. He had a second chance to make something of himself, and he intended to grab it while he could. But he felt like he had to leave his new friends behind to do it. Duncan couldn't help feeling a bit guilty about what he said now. He felt like he had a hand in Jackson's choice to quit.

"Do you really think quitting N.E.R.D.S. will help boost your grades?" Ruby said "There's nothing wrong with getting help. If not from them, we could help you study"

Jackson looked at Ruby as if she had grown a second head "What?" she asked

"Oh please" he said

He cleared his throat and spoke in a condescending tone, mimicking his itchy former teammate "Your inability to manage your life isn't going to affect ours" he said

Ruby blinked a few times. He had been treated rather harshly before, so not wanting to accept their help wasn't so strange. But still, her stubbornness wouldn't let her give up

"You still can't do this" Ruby complained "We can't have a team with only four members"

"Excuse me?" he said "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you threaten to resign if I stayed on the team? Isn't this what you wanted?"

Ruby bit her lip anxiously. She had said that hoping that she'd make Jackson feel like he would have to leave. And it worked, but it didn't make her feel any better. He was only a trainee, he was bound to make mistakes. When she thought about it afterwards, she actually felt pretty bad. And hearing it again made her feel worse

"What do you care anyway?" Jackson asked Ruby "I'm sure you still hate me just as much as Heathcliff did"

Ruby looked offended "We don't hate you anymore" she protested "Not since..."

"I saved you?" Jackson cut her off " So what, I'm still the same cocky kid who loves football. Nothing's changed, I'm no different than I used to be"

Ruby's eyes suddenly began to water, and her nostrils flared as they began to run. Jackson stared at her for a moment before putting two and two together. He quickly stepped backwards to avoid being caught in the blast. Ruby belted out a wicked sneeze, nearly knocking herself down. Saliva and boogers were sprayed on the spot where he previously stood. Jackson cringed as he remembered Ruby's allergy to lying.

"See" Flinch said "That's not true and you know it. You have changed"

Jackson pinched the bridge of his nose "Maybe I have" he said unsurely "But this is just something I need to do by myself. "

Ruby wanted to say he was acting ridiculous. But she was too busy snuffling and snorking from her previous nasal burst to try and speak

"And besides" Jackson said "Agent Brand said that I can come back whenever I feel like I'm ready, so...it's not like I'll be gone forever"

Jackson looked around at the nerd herd. The looks on their faces could only be described as a mix of three feelings, shock, sadness and disappointment. Jackson could feel a lump forming in his throat. He quickly turned around and headed to class. Flinch grabbed Jackson's shoulder, with a grip that was surprisingly strong considering he wasn't wearing his harness.

"C'mon bro" he said "Don't do this"

Jackson jerked his shoulder away, surprising the nerd "Don't touch me" he said hotly

"You don't have to be mean" Matilda shot back defending Flinch

"Just...leave me alone" Jackson said running off to class leaving the nerd herd in his dust

Duncan and Flinch shared the same look of disappointment. Matilda took a few hits of her inhaler, before joining in with her teammates. Ruby scratched at a rash beginning to form on her shoulder.

"What's wrong" Matilda asked

"I'm allergic to sadness" she said quietly

Jackson stopped running when he reached Mr Pfeiffer's room. He had written the word "PROM" on the blackboard. Jackson pulled a blue notebook out of his backpack. He wrote PROM on the top of first the page.

"It starts here" he thought

Jackson sat in the empty classroom for around twenty minutes, alone with his thoughts. After a while, Mr Pfeiffer came in, along with the other students, including the nerd herd. Today Mr Pfeiffer was talking about his high school prom. It was mainly about how he had won prom king. Jackson focused all his attention on taking notes, but he could feel four sets of eyes shifting over to him every so often. Jackson had an incredible urge to yell "Quit looking at me", but he was trying to avoid getting into trouble. The last thing he needed was to see Principal Dehaven again.

Needless to say, the nerd herd was upset at this recent development. But a familiar tingling in their sinuses took their minds off it for a moment. The group gave their trademark simultaneous sneeze. They looked over at Jackson as they wiped their noses, he didn't react at all. They glanced back at him as the walked to the door, all of them hoping he'd follow them to the Playground. But Jackson didn't move an inch. Wearing sad looks, the nerd herd left the room. Jackson gripped his pencil tightly as he thought

"It's for the best"

**This chapter came a lot faster than thought it would. It's also a bit longer than I had planned, but...oh well then. **


	4. Chapter 4

The nerd herd was at the Playground, having returned from their mission safely. They still had time until the Lunch Lady took them home so they decided to study until then. They all thought that studying would be the perfect thing to take their minds off losing another teammate.

So naturally, Jackson was all they could think about.

"This is the first time I've ever felt bad because of Jackson without hglmnzzbbtllyd" Flinch turned the knob on his harness "...without him picking on me"

"It's so weird" Matilda said "Just a few months ago he lived to make us feel bad. And now we feel bad because he's _not_ around. I kinda wish he was still a bully, at least I could go back to hating him"

Ruby's arm swelled like a balloon "Could you please be honest?" she asked as she scratched the appendage furiously "I'm starting to blister over here"

Matilda took a hit from her inhaler "Sorry" she said

"Even back when he was a bully I didn't think he was that bad a person" Duncan said "And it helped a bit when I showed him the tapes"

"You showed him the tapes?" Ruby asked

Duncan nodded "He didn't react the way I thought he would" he said

"What happened?" Matilda asked

"He looked...shocked" Duncan said "Like he didn't even recognize himself"

Flinch's jaw lowered a bit "You're joking" she said

Ruby glasses slipped down her nose "I suppose we could ask him about how he used to act" she said as she pushed her glasses back up

"I doubt he wants us to come anywhere near him" Matilda said

"Maybe we should just give him space until he feels comfortable enough to talk to us again" Duncan suggested

"Let's just forget it" Ruby said "If Bracefa...If Jackson decided to leave it's his choice and we should accept it"

Matilda nodded "Let's just try and focus on studying for our spelling test tomorrow" she said "Gluestick you have the list, right?"

Duncan pulled out a folded sheet of paper "Right here" he said

"What's the first word" Ruby asked

Duncan's face fell a bit as he read the first word "Arrogant"

Ruby bit her lip but worked out the answer "A-R-R-O-G-A-N-T"

"Correct" he said handing the list to Ruby

She turned to Flinch "Your word is..." she stopped for a moment before reading the word "Orthodontic"

Flinch took a bite of his candy bar and swallowed hard before spelling "O-R-T-H-O-D-O-N-T-I-C"

She handed the list to Flinch and he looked at the next word. Looking over at Matilda, he said "Spell Quarterback"

Matilda gripped her inhaler a bit tighter and spelled "Q-U-A-R-T-E...wheeze...-R-B-A-C-K"

"You're right" he said sounding uncharacteristically tired. He handed her the list and she turned back to Duncan "Your word is...Impulsive"

Duncan gave a small sigh "I-M-P-U-L-S-I-V-E"

The nerds went on spelling words. Such as Magnetic, Unpopular, Transform and Disappointment. The nerds couldn't deny that each word reminded them of their former teammate. The joy they usually got out of studying was replaced with sadness, a sadness that grew a bit more with each word. The only joy they got out of this study session was reaching the last word. Matilda turned to Duncan and said

"Spell...Abandon"

Duncan swallowed a lump forming in his throat "A-B-A-N-D-O-N"

Should we..." Flinch began "Run through the words again?"

They sat in an uncomfortable silence until Matilda broke it

"Maybe we should just switch to math?" she suggested

Ms Holiday looked over at the nerd herd. She felt like crying, she could practically feel the sadness pouring off the agents. She looked at Agent Brand as he hobbled over

"What's wrong?" he asked

"What's wrong?" Ms Holiday repeated as she pointed at the nerd herd "Just look at them, they're miserable"

"I wouldn't go that far" Brand said "Disappointed perhaps, but I wouldn't say miserable"

"Wheezer only spent twenty minutes in the Supply Closet today instead of the usual four hours" Ms Holiday said "I asked Gluestick to help me reprogram the chair's upgrade system and he told me he didn't feel like it. I packed a jar of peanut brittle for Flinch for the mission and it was completely untouched when they returned. And in case you didn't notice, Pufferfish didn't try to argue with you at all during the mission briefing. Jackson's departure is weighing heavier on them than you realize"

"There's nothing we can do about it now" Brand said

Ms Holiday cocked an eyebrow "Nothing?" she repeated "You could talk to Jackson and..."

"And what?" Brand interrupted "Tell him that being with the N.E.R.D.S. is more important than his classes? Neither you nor I have any right to try and bring him back before he feels he's ready. And I certainly won't try and make him rejoin just to please his former teammates"

Ms Holiday frowned "I...you..it's not that...Jackson is..."

She was so frustrated with him she couldn't speak.

"I don't like this any more than you" Brand continued "But this is the way it has to be for now. The team may be disappointed but..."

He brought a hand to his chin and rubbed it thoughtfully "Perhaps I should...find a replacement for him"

The librarian looked appalled "You must be joking" she said

"It's not such a bad idea" he said "Jackson suggested we find someone else to take his place. And a five member team would be a good..."

"You can't be serious" Ms Holiday said interrupting him "You know just as well as I do that the teammate they had is the teammate they want"

"Really?" Brand asked giving her a wry smile "Then I suppose there's nothing to do but wait for him"

Ms Holiday's voice caught in her throat. Brand had just reiterated his point to her, and she had walked right into it. She bit her lip in frustration

"I just...wish there was something we could do" Ms Holiday said

"If he wanted our help he'd have asked for it" Brand told her "This isn't just about the grades or re-joining the N.E.R.D.S., it's about proving to himself that he can do it."

**At the Jones Residence**

"Done" Jackson said as he slumped over the livingroom table

He had been studying for the past hour, and he was exhausted. He hadn't felt this tired since the drills back in football practice. He heard a tapping noise on the table. He looked up to see Chaz, who had placed an unopened can of soda in front of him. He gave his little brother a soft noogie.

"Take it easy" he said "You're gonna study yourself to death"

Jackson opened the soda and took a gulp "I can't afford to take it easy" he said "I have to study or I'll fail"

"Try not to burn yourself out" Chaz said on his way to the door

"Headed to the junkyard?" Jackson asked

"You aren't the only one who needs to study, Nerdatron" Chaz " I'm joining up with my friends for a study group"

"Friends?" Jackson repeated "You have more than one now?"

Chaz smiled a bit "Yeah" he said "Along with Barney there's Joanie Miller and Margot Rollins"

"Two girls?" Jackson said "That's a stroke of...hang on..."

Jackson recognized those names. Joanie was a beautiful girl, but had almost no friends because of a tomboyish quirk

"Isn't Joanie that girl who said she can out-spit, out-belch, and out-fart any boy who challenged her?" Jackson asked

Chaz cringed "Yeah" he said "I would know...she beat the whole football team...including the coach"

"And Margot..." Jackson began "She sits beside you in English class. You're always complaining about how she blows her nose so loud that you can't concentrate"

"She has bad allergies" Chaz said "But she's really smart"

Jackson was instantly reminded of Ruby, but he forced the thought back down into the core of his mind.

"I'll be back later" Chaz said as he slipped out the door

Jackson jumped up only to let himself fall back onto the couch. He lay back on the cushions, drinking his soda and enjoying the silence of his house. He had plenty to think about, but he was focused on a spelling test Mr Pfeiffer had planned. Of all the times for him to suddenly teach them something worth learning, he chose now. It's just as well, the sooner he could get his grades up, the better. He heard the sound of a door swing open. Jackson looked over the back of the couch to see his father walk into the room

"Hello son" he said "How was your first day back?"

Jackson's mind cast back to his previous encounter with the nerd herd "A bit...stressful" he said crushing the now empty soda can "But hey, that's just school for you"

"How's the homework going" his father asked

"I finished my homework in my spare time at school" Jackson said

"Spare time?" his father asked

"In between classes" he said "During lunch, free period, staying in at recess. And I've been studying since I got home"

"That's what I like to hear" he said with a pleased look on his face

Jackson got off the couch and stretched "I'm gonna take a nap before dinner" he said heading toward the stairs

"I'll wake you when it's ready" his father said

As he headed up the stairs his father said "By the way, a package came for you"

He tossed Jackson a brown paper wrapped box to his son. Jackson was a bit surprised. He never got mail, but someone sent him a package? What could it be?. The box was too small to be a football or just about anything sports related. Considering his recent work as a spy, maybe the package was a bomb.

...Yeah right.

That's ridiculous

Who'd want to send him a bomb?

...Simon for one.

But he was...well we're not sure but...we sort of think he's...

You know what...just forget it.

Once he reached his room, he tore the paper off, revealing a black and white box. He opened it to find a small, dark blue cell phone. He threw himself onto his bed and stared at the phone

"A cell phone?" Jackson thought "Who'd send me a cell..."

He was interrupted when the phone rang at that moment. He wasn't sure if he should answer it, but someone must've sent it to him for a reason. He hit a button, and hoped the device wouldn't explode as he held it to his ear

"Hello" he said uncertainly

"Hi nerdboy" said a female voice "Do you miss me?"

Jackson nearly dropped the phone "Mindy?" he asked

**Another chapter that I finished faster than I expected to. There's a bit less humor and a lot more seriousness than I originally intended, but all in all I think this was a good chapter. What do you think?**

**Please review.**


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